House of Commons Hansard #223 of the 44th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was need.
This summary is computer-generated. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.
Apology by the Speaker Members debate the Speaker's apology for recognizing an individual with a Nazi past during the Ukrainian President's visit. The Speaker insists it was his sole decision. While Liberals accept the apology and urge against politicization, Conservatives question the government's vetting process for high-profile visits and refuse to accept collective responsibility. The NDP calls for the Speaker's resignation. 4000 words, 35 minutes.
Excise Tax Act Second reading of Bill C-323. The bill aims to exempt psychotherapy and mental health counselling services from GST/HST. Parties generally support sending it to committee, citing Canada's mental health crisis and the need to improve affordability and access. While Liberals express concerns about undermining existing tax exemption criteria, the Bloc and NDP highlight tax inequities compared to other health services. Conservatives emphasize the financial burden on Canadians. 8000 words, 1 hour.
Affordable Housing and Groceries Act Second reading of Bill C-56. The bill addresses housing affordability and grocery prices by proposing to remove the GST on new rental apartment construction and enhance competition. Specifically, it would increase the GST rental rebate to 100% and amend the Competition Act to give the Competition Bureau more power to compel information and take action against anti-competitive practices like the efficiencies defence and vertical collaborations that prevent smaller competitors from opening stores. Some members note the bill incorporates ideas previously proposed by opposition parties. 38000 words, 4 hours in 2 segments: 1 2.
Marty Morantz Conservative Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.
It is important, when we say no to this motion, which is on such an important matter, that we state our rationale. It would be—
Rick O'BrienOral Questions
Rick O'BrienOral Questions
The Speaker Anthony Rota
Order.
I ask the hon. member to start over. I did not hear what he started with or what he was saying, and I want to hear what he has to say.
Marty Morantz Conservative Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB
Mr. Speaker, I want to state the rationale for why the motion is completely out of order, and that is why I am rising on a point of order.
It would be absolutely wrong to strike what was said from the record. It goes without saying that those who do not learn from history are—
Rick O'BrienOral Questions
The Speaker Anthony Rota
Order, please. I am going to ask the Clerk to come up and try to figure out what is going on here so that we can make a call on it.
I am curious to see where the hon. member for Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley is going. He will please get to the point.
Marty Morantz Conservative Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB
Mr. Speaker, it will only be a few seconds, but I appreciate your giving me the floor to explain our rationale.
It goes without saying that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. What happened on Friday was shameful and brought embarrassment to this chamber. It was an ugly reminder of what survivors of the Holocaust know too well: that we must never forget. Deleting the text of the Speaker's words from Hansard would—
Rick O'BrienOral Questions
The Speaker Anthony Rota
I am going to have to interrupt. I am afraid this is getting into debate more than anything else, and I cannot take a point of order on something that has already been voted on. I am just trying to make some sense out of it.
I will let the hon. member go a bit further, but I am trying to figure out where he is going with this.
I cannot say I disagree with what he is saying, but it is not a point of order.
Marty Morantz Conservative Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB
Mr. Speaker, deleting the text of the Speaker's words from Hansard would have only one purpose: to try to forget what happened and wash the record clean. Removing this from the—
Rick O'BrienOral Questions
The Speaker Anthony Rota
I am afraid this is debate.
The hon. member for Calgary Nose Hill is rising on a point of order.
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Mr. Speaker, I move for my colleague from Winnipeg to continue to be heard.
Rick O'BrienOral Questions
The Speaker Anthony Rota
All those opposed to the hon. member's moving the motion will please say nay.
Julie Dabrusin Liberal Toronto—Danforth, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.
I think we can all agree that what happened here on Friday was deeply hurtful. My point of order is actually that, as a Jewish Canadian, I have been very much hurt by what I have been hearing and seeing. When the government House leader was mentioning that she was the descendent of Holocaust survivors, the member for Haldimand—Norfolk said that the chickens have come home to roost. As a Jewish Canadian, that is so deeply hurtful to hear in this context. I would ask that she apologize, because it added to the pain we are feeling.
Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.
My colleague just expressed in a valid point of order that she was deeply offended by what a member from across the way stated during question period. It is definitely appropriate to ask for an apology, and we look to the Conservative Party to provide that member the opportunity to do the right thing and apologize. That was a point of order. At least let us afford the member the opportunity to apologize for the offence that was—
Rick O'BrienOral Questions
The Speaker Anthony Rota
The hon. member for Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston is rising on a point of order.
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON
Mr. Speaker, like the member who raised this, I too have Jewish ancestors. My mother is Jewish. In our ancestral town of Bialystok in Poland, 95% of the Jewish population was murdered during the Holocaust.
Every time the Liberal government missteps in this way, it pulls this stunt of coming out and saying, “Look at us, we have some kind of background,” and then it finds a word said by somebody else and says that person is an anti-Semite.
The fact is that the member for Haldimand—Norfolk was referring to the chickens coming home to roost for a government that consistently abuses human rights issues for its own partisan purposes. Shame on all of them.
Andrew Scheer Conservative Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK
Mr. Speaker, this is a very important issue, one that the House did not ask to debate. The reason these points of order are going back and forth is due to decisions made last week. I think it is incredibly important that all of us understand the context in which this occurs.
I genuinely hope my colleagues will grant unanimous consent for my request to table the reporting structure of the Parliamentary Protective Service, which states very clearly that it reports to the commissioner of the RCMP on operational matters. That was the point the line of questioning was making today. It is about the government's responsibility to provide comprehensive vetting and background checks.
I have those two documents, including the memorandum of understanding signed by the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Speaker of the Senate, the Minister of Public Safety and the commissioner of the RCMP.
I would like to table these two documents so members can know what they are talking about when they are trying to run cover for the Prime Minister.
Rick O'BrienOral Questions
The Speaker Anthony Rota
All those opposed to the hon. member's moving the motion will please say nay.
Kerry-Lynne Findlay Conservative South Surrey—White Rock, BC
Mr. Speaker, on a separate point of order, while our member was speaking, a member of Jewish heritage, the member for Kingston and the Islands used unparliamentary language again by swearing at one of our members who was trying to make a point, a legitimate point, about a very difficult and sensitive matter, particularly for those of Jewish heritage. He should apologize again.
Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON
Mr. Speaker, I do apologize for saying shame on the member for Regina—Qu'Appelle.
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Mr. Speaker, I heard the utterance from the member. It included an expletive that was not included in his apology. The government House leader turned around and looked at him when he said it. She knows he said it. He knows he said it. His apology was not addressing the point raised by the official opposition whip.